Ateneo - UPO

Digital sociology investigates, analyzes, and seeks to understand the impact, development, and use of digital technologies, as well as their integration into social contexts, institutions, everyday life, and relationships between individuals and groups. At the same time, at the individual level, digital technologies have become increasingly embodied in people's imagination, cognition, symbolic worlds, and even their physical experience.
By introducing the social, cultural, and political dimensions of the digital society, this course aims to equip students with the theoretical, methodological, and practical tools needed to engage with the main themes and challenges in this field of research. These include the role of users in innovation processes; the collection and use of behavioural data in the context of surveillance capitalism; questions of ownership and the commons in the platform economy; the reconceptualization of science, knowledge, and information in the digital risk society; the contribution of digital technologies to the embodiment and perception of the self; and the evolution of digital politics and new forms of democratic participation.

Students are not required to purchase any textbooks for this course.
All exam preparation materials—including lecture slides and handouts—will be provided free of charge and can be downloaded directly from the University’s DIR (Didattica in Rete) platform throughout the semester.

Knowledge and understanding. The course aims to introduce and discuss with students the main sociological issues related to the digitalization of society. These include the characteristics and controversies of the digital society, the understanding of the social and technological processes that shape digital environments, and empirical research conducted on digital platforms and in digital environments. The course provides the theoretical and methodological tools necessary to analyse forms of sociality, social change, public opinion processes, and the economic and social inequalities that characterize contemporary societies in the context of the increasing pervasiveness of digital interaction. Applying knowledge and understanding. By the end of the course, students will be able to: (1) understand the processes of social change associated with the development of digital technologies; (2) critically reflect on algorithmic decision-making processes and their potential social consequences; (3) engage critically with debates on the social impact of digitalization and the mechanisms of social interaction that underpin its development; and (4) use and critically evaluate the principal empirical methods of social research in digital environments. Making judgements. The course aims to foster students' ability to recognize, analyse, and communicate critical issues related to social processes within digital environments, assessing their implications at both the micro- and macro-social levels through the application of appropriate empirical research strategies. Communication skills. Students will be able to present the knowledge and competencies acquired during the course in a clear, rigorous, and well-structured manner, using appropriate academic language and engaging in interdisciplinary dialogue with scholars and professionals from related fields. Learning skills. Students will acquire the theoretical and methodological tools necessary to understand and contribute to contemporary debates on the social impact of digital technologies and their most recent developments, while developing the ability to update and expand their knowledge independently.

None. The course is self-contained: basic sociological foundations will be provided during the introductory module, making the content fully accessible to students from non-sociological academic backgrounds.

The course will emphasize active student participation and interaction, building on students' prior knowledge to promote a critical understanding of the concepts and issues addressed throughout the course. To support this learning process, the course integrates seminar-style discussions, practical exercises, and simulation activities.

Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), or Special Educational Needs (SEN) may request dedicated services and support tools by contacting the Career Development and Student Services Coordination Staff and consulting the dedicated page on the University website: https://uniupo.it/it/servizi/servizi-studenti-disabili-e-dsa Additionally, students with disabilities, SLD, or SEN are encouraged to contact the course teacher to clarify or define the specific exam arrangements.

Final oral exam. The discussion will start from the project that students will work on during the course. During the discussion, students will be required to demonstrate their knowledge on theories and tools learned throughout the course. Additionally, they should show proficiency in the methodological and technical skills relevant to applied social research in the field of digital innovation.They have applied these knowledge already mentioned to develop their project.

The first part will introduce general theories and issues specific to sociological disciplines, with brief hints. It will also cover some historical background elements related to digital innovation and artificial intelligence. The second part will explore areas of interest in digital sociology and the sociology of innovation. The third part will focus on issues of innovation and the digital society, including seminars on types and narratives of innovation, common goods, and collective dynamics of innovation. The fourth part will address issues related to the social dimension of innovation, as well as the identification, formulation, and discussion of project proposals.

Minimum Level
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to: - Knowledge and understanding: identify the core concepts concerning the relationship between digital technologies and society, and describe the key phenomena of digital society, with specific reference to patterns of sociability and social inequalities; recognize the role of technology across different social contexts and frame digital transformations within their main historical, socio-economic, cultural, and political dimensions; understand the primary shifts in knowledge production processes and recognize the basic social research tools applied to digital innovation. - Applying knowledge and understanding: identify the main social variables relevant to the preliminary analysis of introducing and diffusing digital technologies within a given context. - Communication skills: present the main issues surrounding the development, use, and impact of digital technologies in social contexts clearly, using basic discipline-specific terminology. Making judgements: recognize the primary critical issues of social processes in socio-digital environments and understand their micro- and macro-social implications.

Excellence Level
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to: - Knowledge and understanding: critically comprehend the complex relationship between digital technologies and society, mastering the main historical, socio-economic, cultural, and political transformations of digital society, as well as knowledge production processes and social research tools applied to digital innovation. - Applying knowledge and understanding: critically analyze and problematize digital society phenomena, identifying the intersections between technological innovation, patterns of sociability, and social inequalities; apply social research tools to the empirical analysis of socio-digital phenomena and evaluate the impact of social variables throughout the development, adoption, and diffusion of digital technologies. - Communication skills: articulate complex issues related to the development, use, and impact of digital technologies in a rigorous and nuanced manner, engaging effectively across interdisciplinary contexts. - Making judgements: critically evaluate emerging issues in socio-digital environments by integrating different theoretical frameworks and developing independent interpretations of these phenomena.